Across the Lands
by SarcasticNinja1011
Summary: A series of one-shots before, during, and after the curse. Contains Maleval and Phiora and Stephan. Contains mush and some fighting. So best of both worlds yay. Really sucky at summary. Don't judge a book by its cover or summery as case may be.
1. Questions

This is very close to perfect. Thought Maleficent, as she stared at the pink and purple sunset. She was sitting on the overlook by her tree, the world had been at peace since King Stephan's death and Maleficent could not have been happier with the way things turned out. What would make this even more perfect, Maleficent continued, is if she had Aurora sitting here beside her. Oh well she would have to be content with her raven. Maleficent smiled at the form of Diaval, his head in her lap, the rest of his body sprawled across the grass. She ran her finger through his black hair and smiled. He looked up at her and laughed at the ridicules grin on her face.

"Why do you look so happy all of the sudden, it usually takes my best charm to get that kind of a smile out of you." Diaval joked, though in truth he was more than pleased about how happy she was. He hated it when she was sad even if it only lasted a minute.

"I was just thinking how perfect this is, you and me, the sunset. I couldn't help but to smile." Maleficent looked back at the sky, it was growing darker but it would still be some time before the sun went away completely and the stars came out.

"Mistress may I ask you a question?" Diaval asked looking at her with his obsidian eyes that made her melt.

She rolled her eyes at the use of the word mistress, she had told him to stop calling her that when she had freed him from her service and gave him the power to transform on his own whim, but he never seemed to be able to break the habit. That or he didn't want to. "Yes of course you can my pet."

"Why did you save me from the farmer? When you first meet me why didn't you just let them kill me?" His question puzzled Maleficent. She had never thought about it before. Why indeed? What was it about that raven that made her want to save him? It could have been that she knew about his life debt and just needed a servant, but no, there was something more than that.

Maleficent pondered so long on the question that Diaval was starting to think she would not answer him and yet he said nothing. He knew that if she was going to answer he would have to be patient. When she finally did speak the sun was gone and stars were coming out.

"I saved you because I saw some of me in you. We both were hurt and tricked by humans. We both were dying, albeit in different ways, you by a club and me from heartbreak. I felt pity for you, you were just trying to live your life when a farmer suddenly captures you and plans to kill you with a club. The odds were in his favor, you had no chance to survive… just like me with Stephan. If I couldn't save myself I could at least save you. At the time I was too proud to admit that, so I did use the excuse that I would get a loyal man servant out of my efforts, but that was an excuse nothing more."

"Well I'm glad you did, even if at the time you thought it was just for the life debt." Diaval chuckled trying to lighten the mood, as was his style.

"Me as well Diaval. I don't know what would have become of me if I hadn't."

For a long while both of them said nothing, just stared up at the sky. The stars made little dots of white on an otherwise inky black sky and the affect was a feeling of pure peace. The wind on the overlook picked up a little bit, but Maleficent didn't mind, she loved the feeling of the wind on her wings. It made up for the lost time when her wings were taken from her.

"Alright it's my turn now." Maleficent finally broke the silence with this statement.

"Your turn for what, love?" Diaval asked, though he already knew what. His eyes were closed, there was a look of total peace on his face and he didn't want to give that peace up with thought provoking question. But he would do whatever she asked.

"At any time did you think I was… evil?" The question surprised Diaval. Where had this come from?

The answer was almost immediate. "No."

"But after everything I did how many lives I destroyed, all the people I hurt. There had to be some time when you thought I had gone too far and was totally evil, not even worthy of saving."

"There were sometimes when I questioned what you were doing and had thought that it had gone too far, but I never thought you were evil. And no it was not because I loved you that I believed that. After you told me what Stephan had done to you I wanted to go and kill him myself, I completely understood why you were doing what you were doing. If someone had stolen my wings I don't know what I would do, and the fact that you were able to carry on showed strength and I admired that. The times I thought you had gone too far I told you, whether you wanted to hear it or not. I never thought you were evil, just broken and lost doing the only thing you could."

As he spoke Maleficent said nothing, she could not imagine how something as wonderful as Diaval could think so much of her and not hate her. Silent tears rolled down her cheek. Seeing them Diaval sat up and brushed them away. He gave her a small wonderful smile filled with love and understanding. He pressed a gentle kiss to her lips.

"I love you Maleficent."

"I love you Diaval."

He laid back down and both of them turned their heads towards the stars, hands clasped together. She was wrong before, this was perfection. Slowly they fell asleep beneath the stars and tree.

* * *

><p><strong>Thank You for reading this I hoped you liked it. So this is the first story in a series of one shots that are going to be about all of the characters in maleficent. So please, please review for any ideas or input you have for it. I'm honestly a sucker for feedback cant get enough of it. Sorry for any mistakes in spelling or grammar I did edit. Thanks again for your time Happy Reading!<strong>


	2. First Vist

"Keep them closed you cheat!" Philip smiled as he heard Aurora's bell like laugh leak through her words. God he loved her laugh, just like everything about her it was perfect.

"Alright, alright. See their closed!" Philip teased her. Aurora had awoken from the curse nearly a week ago, during that time she told Philip everything about what had happened to her over the sixteen years of the curse. If it was anybody but Aurora telling him those things he would have laughed in their face. But how could he now, he saw the proof with his own eyes. This morning Aurora had told him she wanted him to see something but that it was a surprise till they got there. Philip was quite curious about what she wanted to show him, he kept trying to peak but every time he tried she caught him. How does she do that? He wondered, closing his eyes once again.

Aurora smiled back at him as she led his horse across the plains to her home. She hoped he would like it just as much as she did. It had taken her forever to get permission from her godmother to do this. Godmother was still very distrustful of humans, but she was learning. Diaval helped a lot in convincing her, Aurora would have to thank him when she saw him today.

By the time they reached the Moors Philip was anxious to see what Aurora's surprise was. He could hear the excitement in her voice as she said, "Alright we're here, you can open now."

Slowly he opened his eyes and what he saw amazed him. The Moors stretched out before him in all of their glory. Sunlight reflected off of the grass making it unnaturally shiny and green, the water was a light sky blue and crystal clear. The flowers were in bloom and the trees were full of perfect green leaves. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, second of course to Aurora. Philip blink his eyes several times just to make sure that it was no illusion or vision. Aurora laughed at his reaction and taking his land, she led him down further into the Moors.

Aurora showed him everything, all the sights and creatures, she wanted to show him everything she loved about this place so that maybe, just maybe he would love it as much as her. She showed him the mud pits and laughed when he got hit square in the chest by an unexpected mud ball. She showed him the river fairies, how they changed colors in the water. She brought him to Balthazar the tree warrior, who Philip treated with the upmost respect, and Balthazar gave his stamp of approval. The last place she took him was the throne.

Even with it restored to its former self it was a magnificent object and immediately Philip was speechless. Standing in front of it was Maleficent herself. Dressed in her finest outfit she was the picture of beauty and strength. From her baring Philip could tell that she was a powerful creature, and that she knew it.

"Welcome Philip to the Moors, I hope Aurora has been giving you a proper tour." Maleficent said outwardly friendly and inviting but beneath that there was a coldness to her words.

"Yes your Grace, she has shown me many things, nothing in the human world can compare to its wonder." Responded Philip bowing so as not to offend her.

Maleficent gave a small subtle smile at that response, "Well that's wonderful, I know Aurora was hoping that you would enjoy this." With her words Aurora grew pink in her cheeks. Out of nowhere a large raven swooped over Philips head making him duck out of fear of being clawed, and landed on Maleficent's staff.

"Diaval!" Shirked Aurora. The raven cackled with a kind of laughter.

Maleficent too could not help but to smile at the raven's joke. "I see you have finally meet Diaval, forgive his entrance, he does love to make an impression." With her words the raven bobbed his head up and down agreeing to her statement.

"All is forgiven."

"Wonderful, lets eat." With those words Maleficent flicked her hand and a picnic spread out before them with an array of delicious looking food.

During the meal Philip and Aurora did most of the talking, Maleficent seemed content just listening to them, occasionally stroking Diaval's feathers in the place where she knew he loved. Aurora smiled at this, she noticed how Diaval never flew very far from Maleficent even though he was free from her. Aurora knew what their true feelings were whether or not they wanted to admit it, and it frustrated Aurora to no end. Here they had a perfectly good relationship if only they weren't to stubborn to admit it, while most likely her marriage will be for political alliance. It was a crap deal and she wished she could switch places, but nothing ever got done with wishing. So she laughed and joked along with Philip pretending not to feel her frustrations.

Even when the meal was done Philip gave no indication of wanting to go back to the palace, so they stayed with Maleficent talking. Maleficent over the course of the day opened up a little to Philip and it seemed to Aurora that she liked him. When the sun started to go down Aurora pulled Philip up and dragged him to the overlook. When the sun was gone completely the Moors came alive with light.

"I was mistaken before this is the most wonderful sight I have ever seen." Philip gasped in amazement at the sight before. Fairies glowed with colors unimaginable to him. The water seemed to glow and even the flowers had this kind of pink light surrounding them.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" Aurora breathed, she had seen this sight a million times but it still amazed her.

"Not the most beautiful thing I've seen but it comes close." Philip looked at her begging with his eyes to understand his meaning.

Aurora just looked at him with sadness. Why couldn't he understand that she could never marry for love even if she wanted to? "Come it's time we head back."

Philip nodded and followed her back to the border. When they arrived Maleficent was already waiting.

"Good-bye Godmother, I'll see you soon." She gave her a hug and turned to the raven. "Now you change Diaval I can't hug a raven good-bye." Aurora said with a laugh. At her command the raven changed into a tall black hair man, but all Philip could look at was the large 'v' shaped scar on his chest. Aurora hugged Diaval and mounted her horse.

"Hope you return Philip." Maleficent said, but in truth she was all eyes for Diaval.

"Yes I hope so as well." Philip responded before turning his horse to follow Aurora. "Thank you for taking me, Aurora, I loved it." All Aurora did was smile before kicking her horse into a gallop back to the palace.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey People I really hoped you liked it. I was trying to go for a girl brings boy home to meet parents for the first time kind of feeling. What do you thing? As always reviews most appreciated! I Think next Chapter will be a Stephan chapter so its going to be darker, as suggested by EmerskyofShadowclan. If you have any thoughts on what you want to see just tell me and I'd be more then happy to look at it. <strong>

**Happy Reading!**


	3. Darkness in the Heart

In the darkest part of the great castle there was a room of treasures, most of them stolen. The center piece of this collection was a large glass cabinet, inside a great big pair of brown wings. In the corner by the door there was a shadow of man sitting just staring at these wings. He sat unmoving except the occasional twitch of his eyes, and it was his eyes that gave away his insanity. There was a hollow crazed look about them, no light in them, just a deep blackness. A smirk played at his thin, sick looking, lips. His cloths suggested at finery but they were unkempt and dirty. He was hunched over in the chair his arms on the arm rest, and guessing by the dust gathering, he had been sitting there a very long time, unmoving.

"Well my dear it does seem you got the better of me, cursing my daughter, with only a true love's kiss to save her. Which we both know doesn't exist, that's why you did it didn't you, just to spite me. Well it won't work, I was a fool not to kill you, and next time we meet I will have your head." With this Stephan gave a crazed manic laughter that would send shivers down most peoples spin. There was of course no one else in the room, but Stephan didn't care. To him the wings really were Maleficent, and they were all he could think about.

Stephan had thought that maybe in the past he really had loved her, if only for a moment. But how was he going to go anywhere in this world if he was being dragged down by a thing like her. No, he regretted nothing of sniping the beast's wings, even if it had cost is daughter's life. He got what he wanted, which was the crown and throne. He had done what he promised to Maleficent he would do when he first meet her. He was living in the palace.

"You had to know this was coming, though I do have to thank you. You attacking the kings was the key to my success. So if you think about it it's your fault your wings were taken, you brought it apron yourself. Then you come after my family for your mistake? Well you won't get far with this, even if I have to hunt you down myself. First I will kill you then I'll take your precious kingdom. Then again you already know that. That's why your after me, coming to get me."

There was a knock at the door, Stephan ignored it, but he did go quiet. Once again a knock sounded. This time however the person came in. It was his manservant George. "Sir it's the Queen, she asks for you. When Stephan said nothing he presses on. "Sir the surgeons say she won't last the night."

With that last comment Stephan put a finger to his lips and said "Sh, can't you see we're having a conversation." George looked at him with confusion and a little fright before he bowed his head and exited.

Stephan returned his attention to the glass case. What did he care if the Queen died? She was nothing to him. He didn't love her, she was a means to an end for Stephan. When he married her it united his and the neighboring kingdom, plus they had an extreme amount of iron resources. He didn't care if she died he was still going to get the iron and that is all that mattered.

"Have to be prepared for when you come, isn't that right dearie? You should be grateful I didn't kill you when I had the chance. Thought about it, couldn't do it. Even if I didn't love you, you were still my friend once, in childhood. Be grateful you meant even that much to me. But you don't care. You're still coming after me, and I'm still going to kill you.

Over the next several years Stephan prepared for Maleficent arrival. Though it was still many years till the curse was supposed to go into effect, there was no idea when she might get the inkling to kill the entire kingdom. He had drawn plans of defenses with his generals now all he had to do was put them into action. He put his entire kingdom to work. If you weren't digging iron out of the ground, you were building a trap or making weapons and armor. Many men died those years, of hunger, exhaustion, and sickness. Stephan didn't care, not as long as everything got done. What were a few nameless peasants to him? He was the bloody king.

* * *

><p>Over time though Stephan became crazier and crazier. His eyes more bloodshot, his hair and cloths more unkempt. Many people said it was because of grief of the loss of his wife and daughter. It was of course not that. It was worry that drove the king mad. Worry that all of his hard work would be for nothing. That Maleficent would win, she would take his throne away from him. The one thing he truly loved, power, would be taken from him. It haunted his thoughts drove him to the edge of insanity.<p>

"I will not let that happen, she will be first, she will be first, she will be first." He repeated those words over and over again in his head, thinking maybe if he thought it hard enough it would come to pass. He knew that the council members plotted against him, meant to over throw him. It worried him not. He could handle those sniveling cowards. He just needed to take care of her first.

She will be first.

* * *

><p><strong>Another chapter hope you enjoy it. I think it really gets into his mind set. And yes that is a part of the movie in it. Remember if you liked it review! Show the love, or help me improve. Next chapter probably some Maleval, so look out for that.<strong>

**Happy Reading!**


End file.
